Leionema scopulinum facts for kids
Leionema scopulinum is a cool upright shrub, meaning it grows straight up! It has shiny, dark green leaves that are long and narrow. When it blooms, usually from autumn to spring, you'll see pretty yellow flowers. You can only find this special plant in the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales, Australia.
Quick facts for kids Leionema scopulinum |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Genus: | Leionema |
| Species: |
L. scopulinum
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| Binomial name | |
| Leionema scopulinum B.M.Horton & Crayn
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Contents
What does Leionema scopulinum look like?
Leionema scopulinum is a shrub that can grow from about 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) to 3 m (9.8 ft) tall. Its branches are a bit angular (not perfectly round) and sometimes have tiny, star-shaped hairs on them.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves are mostly smooth and shaped like a narrow oval or a spearhead. They are 24–65 mm (0.94–2.56 in) long and 4.5–10 mm (0.18–0.39 in) wide. The leaves get narrower towards the stem and can have tiny teeth along their edges. The tip of the leaf might be slightly notched or rounded. The top side of the leaves is dark green and shiny, while the underside is a bit duller.
The flowers grow in clusters of 9 to 32 at the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk, called a pedicel, which is 3.5–8 mm (0.14–0.31 in) long and has star-shaped hairs. Tiny leaf-like parts called bracteoles are about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long and grow near the middle of the pedicel.
The small, triangular parts that protect the flower bud, called sepals, are 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long. They can be smooth or have star-shaped hairs. The petals are yellow to greenish-yellow and stand upright. They are shaped like a spearhead or an oval and are 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long. The petals are smooth, and the stamens (the parts that produce pollen) are twice as long as the petals.
Fruit
After flowering, the plant produces fruit that look like a capsule. Each part of the capsule is 5.5–7 mm (0.22–0.28 in) high and ends with a small beak, which is 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long. This plant usually flowers from April to September.
Who named this plant?
This plant was officially described in 2004 by two scientists, Bryony M. Horton and Darren M. Crayn. They published their description in a science journal called Telopea.
Where does it grow?
Leionema scopulinum is quite rare because it only grows in a small area. You can find it only in the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It likes to grow in areas with low-growing shrubs (called heath) and in woodlands, especially where the soil is shallow and sandy.
